Criminal justice issues are typically studied in urban rather than rural areas. This represents an important deficit in the understanding of policing issues, as most police departments are in rural jurisdictions. Research indicates rural police departments often operate with fewer resources, lower staffing levels, and more inferior technology than their urban counterparts. Other research shows urban and rural officers experience different sources of job-related stress and its manifestations. As such, further research is needed to determine the extent of these differences so that solutions tailored to address the needs of small rural departments and their officers may be better implemented.